The present invention relates to mechanisms for connecting portions of a body structure of a vehicle.
One type of motor vehicle chassis construction is a “body-on-frame” structure, in which the vehicle body is bolted, welded or otherwise suitably attached to a separate vehicle frame. During the fabrication of such body-on-frame structures, it may be necessary to connect portions of the vehicle body to each other. Also, due to cosmetic, assembly, and vehicle operational considerations (for example, the structures of the parts to be connected, the locations of these parts on the vehicle, and the stresses under which the connections will operate during vehicle use), it may not be feasible to form a direct connection between the body parts along the exterior surfaces of the body parts.
One alternative to connecting the part exteriors is to connect a first vehicle body portion to an interior connection feature formed inside a hollow interior of a second vehicle body portion. However, an opening provided in the second body portion to permit insertion of the first body portion therein may also permit entry of noise, dirt and moisture into the second body portion interior. To prevent this, it may be necessary to seal the portion of the opening not occupied by the first body portion. However, this can increase the cost of assembly and the time required for assembly. It may also be difficult to weld or fasten the part of the first body portion residing within the second body portion interior. Thus, a need exists for a method of connecting body portions of a vehicle without requiring that an opening be provided into a body portion interior.